UCLA's primary purpose as a public research university is the creation, dissemination, preservation and application of knowledge for the betterment of our global society. To fulfill this mission, UCLA is committed to academic freedom in its fullest terms: We value open access to information, free and lively debate conducted with mutual respect for individuals, and freedom from intolerance. In all of our pursuits, we strive at once for excellence and diversity, recognizing that openness and inclusion produce true quality. 

These values underlie our three institutional responsibilities. Learning and teaching at UCLA are guided by the belief that undergraduate, graduate and professional school students and their teachers belong to a community of scholars. This community is dedicated to providing students with a foundational understanding of a broad range of disciplines followed by the opportunity for in-depth study in a chosen discipline. All members of the community are engaged together in discovering and advancing knowledge and practice. 

Learning occurs not only in the classroom, but also through engagement in campus life and in communities and organizations beyond the university. Discovery, creativity and innovation are hallmarks of UCLA. As one of the world's great research universities, we are committed to ensuring excellence across a wide range of disciplines, professions and arts while also encouraging investigation across disciplinary boundaries. 

In so doing, UCLA advances knowledge, addresses pressing societal needs and creates a university enriched by diverse perspectives where all individuals can flourish. Civic engagement is fundamental to our mission as a public university. 

Located on the Pacific Rim in one of the world's most diverse and vibrant cities, UCLA reaches beyond campus boundaries to establish partnerships locally and globally. We seek to serve society through both teaching and scholarship, to educate successive generations of leaders, and to pass on to students a renewable set of skills and commitment to social engagement. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is an institution that is firmly rooted in its land-grant mission of teaching, research and public service. 

The campus community is committed to discovery and innovation, creative and collaborative achievements, debate and critical inquiry, in an open and inclusive environment that nurtures the growth and development of all faculty, students, administration and staff. These Principles of Community are vital for ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the campus community and for serving as a guide for our personal and collective behavior. 

• We believe that diversity is critical to maintaining excellence in all of our endeavors. 

• We seek to foster open-mindedness, understanding, compassion and inclusiveness among individuals and groups. 

• We are committed to ensuring freedom of expression and dialogue, in a respectful and civil manner, on the spectrum of views held by our varied and diverse campus communities. 

• We value differences as well as commonalities and promote respect in personal interactions. 

• We affirm our responsibility for creating and fostering a respectful, cooperative, equitable and civil campus environment for our diverse campus communities. 

• We strive to build a community of learning and fairness marked by mutual respect. 

• We do not tolerate acts of discrimination, harassment, profiling or other conduct causing harm to individuals on the basis of expression of race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, religious beliefs, political preference, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship or national origin, among other personal characteristics. Such conduct violates UCLA's Principles of Community and may result in imposition of sanctions according to campus policies governing the conduct of students, staff and faculty. 

• We acknowledge that modern societies carry historical and divisive biases based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation and religion, and we seek to promote awareness and understanding through education and research and to mediate and resolve conflicts that arise from these biases in our communities. 

• The Principles of Community statement was developed by the Chancellor's Advisory Group on Diversity, since renamed the UCLA Council on Diversity & Inclusion. The group includes representatives from the administration, faculty, staff, and student and alumni communities.